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Auburn, New York facts for kids

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Auburn
North side of Genesee Street in downtown Auburn
North side of Genesee Street in downtown Auburn
Nickname(s): 
Prison City
Location in Cayuga County and the state of New York.
Location in Cayuga County and the state of New York.
Auburn is located in New York
Auburn
Auburn
Location in New York
Auburn is located in the United States
Auburn
Auburn
Location in the United States
Auburn is located in North America
Auburn
Auburn
Location in North America
Country United States
State New York
County Cayuga
Incorporated 1815 (village)
1848 (city)
Government
 • Type Council-Manager
Area
 • Total 8.41 sq mi (21.78 km2)
 • Land 8.34 sq mi (21.59 km2)
 • Water 0.08 sq mi (0.20 km2)
Elevation
686 ft (209 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 26,866
 • Density 3,223.28/sq mi (1,244.46/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes
13021
Area code(s) 315
FIPS code 36-011-03078
GNIS feature ID 0942692

Auburn is a city in Cayuga County, New York, United States. It is located at the north end of Owasco Lake. This lake is one of the Finger Lakes in Central New York. In 2020, the city had a population of 26,866 people. Auburn is the largest city in Cayuga County and its main government center. It is also home to the Auburn Correctional Facility, the William H. Seward House Museum, and the house of abolitionist Harriet Tubman.

History of Auburn

Bruce, William - Auburn, New York (1909)
Auburn, New York (1909), by William Bruce
Auburn Works No. 1, Auburn, N.Y LCCN2007663994 crop
The Auburn Works in 1907
State Street from Genesee Street, Auburn, NY
State Street in 1910

For many centuries before Europeans arrived, the land around Auburn belonged to the Haudenosaunee people.

Auburn was started in 1793. This was after the American Revolution, when many new settlements were being built in western New York. The founder was John L. Hardenbergh. He was a soldier who fought in the Sullivan-Clinton campaign. This campaign was against the Iroquois during the American Revolution. Some Haudenosaunee groups had sided with the British. General George Washington ordered the Sullivan Campaign to stop Haudenosaunee forces. This campaign destroyed many Native communities.

After the war, Hardenbergh received land in the area. He settled near the Owasco River with his baby daughter and two enslaved African-Americans, Harry and Kate Freeman. The community grew around Hardenbergh's mills. Harry and Kate Freeman were later freed. Kate was freed in 1805, and Harry was freed shortly after Hardenbergh's death in 1806.

The settlement was first called Hardenbergh's Corners. In 1805, it was renamed Auburn and became the county seat. It became an official village in 1815 and a city in 1848. The Erie Canal opened nearby in 1825. This helped local factories ship their goods cheaply. Later, in 1871, a railroad line was built. It helped carry coal from Pennsylvania through Auburn to Lake Ontario.

From 1818 to 1939, Auburn had the Auburn Theological Seminary. This was an important school for religious studies. Due to money problems during the Great Depression, the seminary moved to New York City. Today, only the Willard Memorial Chapel and Welch Memorial Hall remain. The chapel has beautiful stained-glass windows and decorations by Louis Comfort Tiffany. It is the only complete Tiffany chapel interior known to exist.

In 1816, Auburn Prison was built. It is now called the Auburn Correctional Facility. It was a new kind of prison at the time. People could pay to visit and see the prisoners. On August 6, 1890, the first use of the electric chair happened at Auburn Prison. In 1901, a man named Leon Czolgosz, who had harmed President William McKinley, was also executed there. The prison is still a very secure facility today.

Geography of Auburn

Auburn is located at the northern end of Owasco Lake. This lake is one of the Finger Lakes. The Owasco Outlet, also known as the Owasco River, flows north through the city from the lake. It then goes into the Seneca River. A dam in the city controls the water flowing out of the lake. This water is used for drinking and fun activities.

The city covers about 8.4 square miles (21.8 km2) of land and water. Most of this, about 8.3 square miles (21.6 km2), is land.

US 20 is a major highway that goes through Auburn from east to west. New York State Route 34 and New York State Route 38 are north-south highways that cross US-20 in Auburn. Seneca Falls is about 15 miles (24 km) west on US 20. Syracuse is about 26 miles (42 km) northeast via New York State Route 5.

Climate in Auburn

Auburn has a climate with big temperature changes throughout the year. Summers are warm to hot and often humid. Winters are cold, sometimes very cold. This type of weather is called a humid continental climate.

Climate data for Auburn, New York (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1897–present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 70
(21)
74
(23)
85
(29)
92
(33)
95
(35)
101
(38)
100
(38)
98
(37)
99
(37)
94
(34)
78
(26)
68
(20)
101
(38)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 55.1
(12.8)
53.1
(11.7)
64.0
(17.8)
79.7
(26.5)
86.1
(30.1)
91.0
(32.8)
91.9
(33.3)
90.8
(32.7)
87.9
(31.1)
78.6
(25.9)
68.1
(20.1)
56.7
(13.7)
93.9
(34.4)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 31.3
(−0.4)
33.4
(0.8)
41.6
(5.3)
55.2
(12.9)
68.6
(20.3)
76.9
(24.9)
81.1
(27.3)
79.7
(26.5)
72.4
(22.4)
59.4
(15.2)
47.5
(8.6)
36.8
(2.7)
57.0
(13.9)
Daily mean °F (°C) 23.3
(−4.8)
24.7
(−4.1)
32.1
(0.1)
44.6
(7.0)
56.9
(13.8)
66.2
(19.0)
70.7
(21.5)
69.1
(20.6)
61.9
(16.6)
50.3
(10.2)
39.5
(4.2)
29.9
(−1.2)
47.4
(8.6)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 15.4
(−9.2)
16.0
(−8.9)
22.7
(−5.2)
34.0
(1.1)
45.2
(7.3)
55.4
(13.0)
60.4
(15.8)
58.5
(14.7)
51.5
(10.8)
41.2
(5.1)
31.6
(−0.2)
23.1
(−4.9)
37.9
(3.3)
Mean minimum °F (°C) −5.5
(−20.8)
−2.7
(−19.3)
3.7
(−15.7)
21.7
(−5.7)
31.2
(−0.4)
41.5
(5.3)
49.2
(9.6)
48.1
(8.9)
37.5
(3.1)
27.9
(−2.3)
16.5
(−8.6)
4.2
(−15.4)
−8.9
(−22.7)
Record low °F (°C) −20
(−29)
−32
(−36)
−16
(−27)
6
(−14)
25
(−4)
33
(1)
40
(4)
39
(4)
28
(−2)
16
(−9)
−1
(−18)
−21
(−29)
−32
(−36)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 2.93
(74)
2.48
(63)
3.23
(82)
3.68
(93)
3.77
(96)
4.10
(104)
4.31
(109)
4.26
(108)
3.87
(98)
4.47
(114)
3.59
(91)
3.57
(91)
44.26
(1,124)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 29.1
(74)
25.9
(66)
17.2
(44)
3.1
(7.9)
0.2
(0.51)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.4
(1.0)
8.8
(22)
24.7
(63)
101.6
(258)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 19.0 15.6 14.6 15.2 14.3 13.6 12.7 11.6 10.8 17.2 16.0 19.6 180.2
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 13.9 12.1 7.1 2.0 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.5 4.6 11.9 52.3
Source: NOAA
AuburnPrisonFront crop
Auburn Correctional Facility

People in Auburn

Auburn City Hall Auburn
Auburn Memorial City Hall in 2012
Historical population
Census Pop.
1810 500
1820 2,333 366.6%
1830 4,486 92.3%
1840 5,626 25.4%
1850 9,548 69.7%
1860 10,986 15.1%
1870 17,225 56.8%
1880 21,924 27.3%
1890 25,858 17.9%
1900 30,345 17.4%
1910 34,668 14.2%
1920 36,192 4.4%
1930 36,652 1.3%
1940 35,753 −2.5%
1950 36,722 2.7%
1960 35,249 −4.0%
1970 34,599 −1.8%
1980 32,548 −5.9%
1990 31,258 −4.0%
2000 28,574 −8.6%
2010 27,687 −3.1%
2020 26,866 −3.0%
U.S. Decennial Census

In 2000, there were 28,574 people living in Auburn. There were 11,411 households. About 28% of households had children under 18. The average household had 2.27 people. The average family had 2.98 people.

The population included people of different ages. About 22.8% were under 18. About 17.8% were 65 or older. The average age was 37 years.

Education in Auburn

The Auburn Enlarged City School District runs the public schools in Auburn. It has seven schools for students from kindergarten to 12th grade.

The only college in Auburn is Cayuga Community College. It is a two-year school. It is often called C.C.C. by local people.

Sports in Auburn

Auburn Doubledays game Falcon Park Auburn
An Auburn Doubledays game (2012)

Professional Baseball

Auburn has a long history with professional baseball. Many different teams have played here over the years. These include the Auburn Cayugas and other early teams. They were part of various leagues.

Today, Auburn is home to the Auburn Doubledays. This team plays in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League. This league uses wooden bats.

Minor League Baseball Headquarters

In 1901, Auburn became the main office for the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues. This organization is now called Minor League Baseball. Its offices stayed in Auburn for many years.

Auburn Community Baseball

Auburn Community Baseball owns the Auburn Doubledays team. The city of Auburn owns this organization. The team plays its home games at Leo Pinckney Field at Falcon Park.

The Great Race

Since 1978, Auburn has hosted "The Great Race" every August. It is a relay race with three or four people on a team. The race includes running, cycling, and canoeing or kayaking. It starts and ends near Owasco Lake. This race is very popular. Between 2,000 and 2,500 people usually take part. It is one of the biggest relay races in the United States.

Media in Auburn

The local daily newspaper in Auburn is The Citizen. It started in 1816. It covers news for Auburn and Cayuga County. It is published seven days a week.

Famous People from Auburn

William H. Seward
William H. Seward House (2012)
Harriet Tubman
Harriet Tubman House (2007)
Cayuga County Court House Auburn
Cayuga County Court House
Post Office and Federal Court House Auburn
Old Post Office and Federal Courthouse
Willard etc 095
Willard Memorial Chapel
Case Memorial-Seymour Library May 09
Case Memorial-Seymour Library
Schines Auburn Theatre Auburn
Schines Auburn Theatre
St Peters Episcopal Church Complex May 09
Saints Peter and John Episcopal Church
Museumfront web
Cayuga Museum of History and Art

Two of the most well-known historical figures linked to Auburn are Harriet Tubman and William H. Seward.

Seward lived in Auburn from 1823 until he passed away in 1872. He was a New York state senator and the governor of New York. He also served as a U.S. senator. Later, he became Secretary of State for presidents Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson. In this role, he helped buy Alaska from Russia in 1867. This was sometimes called "Seward's Folly." Seward was against slavery.

Seward's wife, Frances Adeline Seward, strongly supported the movement to end slavery. Auburn was a big supporter of this movement. In the 1850s, the Seward family opened their home. It was a safe place for people escaping slavery on the Underground Railroad. In 1859, Seward sold land to Harriet Tubman. She used it to create a safe home for her family and friends. It also helped other black Americans seeking a better life in the north.

Today, Seward's house is a history museum. Both his house and Tubman's house are listed as important historical places.

Other Notable People

  • Willard Bundy: He invented the first time clock.
  • Theodore Case: He helped create the first successful way to record sound on film.
  • Birdsill Holly: He is thought to have invented the fire hydrant.
  • Abner Doubleday: He was a general. For many years, people believed he created baseball.
  • Samuel Hopkins Adams: He was an author.
  • John Walsh: He is known for hosting TV shows like America's Most Wanted.

Businesses in Auburn

  • Auburn Bearing & Manufacturing: This company started in 1898. It designs and makes parts for machines called ball and roller thrust bearings.

Historic Places to Visit

Many places in Auburn are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These include the Auburn Button Works and Logan Silk Mills and the Belt-Gaskin House. Other sites are the Case Memorial-Seymour Library and the Cayuga County Courthouse and Clerk's Office.

You can also visit the Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged and the William and Mary Hosmer House. The St. Peter's Episcopal Church Complex and Sand Beach Church are also listed. The Schines Auburn Theatre and Thompson AME Zion Church are important. Don't forget the Harriet Tubman Grave and Harriet Tubman House.

Other historic spots include the Old Post Office and Courthouse. Also, Fort Hill Cemetery, Wall Street Methodist Episcopal Church, and Dr. Sylvester Willard Mansion. The William H. Seward House and Willard Memorial Chapel-Welch Memorial Hall are very important national landmarks. The South Street Area Historic District is a national historic area.

In 2018, the NYS Equal Rights Heritage Center opened. It is a visitor center. It has an exhibit about the region's history and culture. It helps visitors find historical sites. These sites are connected to the fight for equal rights.

See Also

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